History of materialism and critique of its present importance

Friedrich Albert Lange

All teleology has its root in the view that the builder of the universe acts in such a way that man must, on the analogy of human reason, call his action purposeful. This is essentially even Aristotle’s view, and even the Pantheistic doctrine of an immanent purpose holds to the idea of a purposefulness corresponding to human ideals, even though it gives up the extramundane person who in human fashion first conceives and then carries out this purpose. It can now, however, be no longer doubted that nature proceeds in a way which has no similarity with human purposefulness; nay, that her most essential means is such that, measured by the standard of human understanding, it can only be compared with the blindest chance. On this point we need wait for no future proof; the facts speak so plainly and in the most various provinces of nature so unanimously, that no view of things is henceforth admissible which contradicts these facts and their necessary meaning.

Fonte (em port.): Hardin, G., org. 1967. População, evolução & controle da natalidade. SP, Nacional & Edusp. Excerto de obra originalmente publicada em alemão (1866). Tradução para o inglês (3 vols.) apareceu em 1877-1881.